Afford Anything
You can afford anything, but not everything. We make daily decisions about how to spend money, time, energy, focus and attention – and ultimately, our life.
How do we make smarter decisions? How do we think from first principles?
On the surface, Afford Anything seems like a podcast about money and investing.
But under the hood, this is a show about how to think critically, recognize our behavioral blind spots, and make smarter choices. We’re into the psychology of money, and we love metacognition: thinking about how to think.
In some episodes, we interview world-class experts: professors, researchers, scientists, authors. In other episodes, we answer your questions, talking through decision-making frameworks and mental models.
Want to learn more? Download our free book, Escape, at http://affordanything.com/escape. Hosted by Paula Pant.
376
Ask Paula: I’m Three Years from Retirement. How...
#272: “Anonymous Moving-Back-home” and her partner earn $150,000 per year after taxes. They’re currently saving 80 percent by living with family. What should they do with their savings? Leigh and her husband are three years away from retirement....
72 min
377
PSA Thursday - Here's a simple framework for de...
Millions of people are in financial limbo now that the $600 supplemental federal unemployment benefit has expired. The new $300 supplemental benefit is slooowly getting approved by FEMA, state-by-state, through an excruciatingly snail-like process,...
13 min
378
Retirement Planning in 2020, with Dr. Wade Pfau
#271: Dr. Wade Pfau, one of the foremost experts in the academic field of retirement planning, joins us to talk about how the events of 2020 might impact your retirement plans. If you’re wondering if you need to change your investing strategy,...
66 min
379
Ask Paula: Buy a Home, Buy Investments, or Pay ...
#270: Briana and her husband want to buy a home, but they don’t have enough saved for a downpayment. They also have student loan debt and a car loan. Which should they prioritize? Javier is sick of being in debt. What can he do to put himself in a...
61 min
380
How to Ask Better Questions, with Charles Duhigg
#269: Are you scared to take the first step toward the habits that you want to build? Do you believe in your ability to change? Or are you completely lost as to where to start? Charles Duhigg, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author of the...
49 min
381
PSA Thursday - Get Ready for a School Year Like...
Do you have school-age children? If so, then brace yourself for a school year like no other. This year, some children will return to school five days a week. Others will learn from home five days a week, and yet others will experience a hybrid of the...
37 min
382
Ask Paula: Should I Invest or Pay Off My Mortga...
#268: Natasha has $3,300 per month to either invest or use toward an early mortgage payoff. Which option should she choose? An anonymous caller and military member wants to know if she should move money from a USAA brokerage to Vanguard to pay less in...
94 min
383
How to Talk To Your Tenants About Financial Dif...
Welcome back to PSA Thursday, a mostly-weekly segment (sometimes on Thursdays) in which we talk about how to handle money, work, and life in the middle of a pandemic. This week, we continue the conversation on what landlords can do to create and...
24 min
384
This Year’s Financial Reckoning, with Farnoosh ...
#267: This week, one of the most acclaimed names in the world of personal finance journalism joins us to reflect on the events of 2020. Farnoosh Torabi started covering personal finance in 2003 as a reporter for Money Magazine. She later became a...
51 min
385
Ask Paula: Your Real Estate Questions, Answered
#266: Paul’s parents own a property worth $100,000, and they owe $80,000 on the mortgage. If he wants to buy this property from them, how should he do it? Max is torn between investing in a rental property or taking advantage of a mega backdoor...
61 min
386
PSA Thursday: The Impact of Evictions, with Pri...
Welcome back to PSA Thursday, a mostly-weekly segment in which we talk about how to handle money, work, and life in the middle of a pandemic. This week, our focus is on answering a question that many landlords in our community have asked in recent...
34 min
387
Personality Isn’t Permanent, with Dr. Benjamin ...
#265: Are you the same person you were five years ago? Ten years ago? Fifteen years ago? Of course not. Things in your life have changed: your interests, hobbies, decision-making process, and habits are different than they were a decade ago. Likewise,...
65 min
388
PSA Thursday: How to Stay Safe During the Reope...
16 min
389
Ask Paula: How Do I Pick the Right Mix of Inves...
#264: An anonymous listener, whom we call “Mary,” is curious about the auto-rebalancing feature offered by M1 Finance. Is it too good to be true? J isn’t happy with the target date retirement fund she chose for her 401k. She has limited options...
61 min
390
PSA Thursday: The History of the PPP -- and 4 E...
Here's the sordid history of the Payroll Protection Program, plus four additional options for getting pandemic relief as an entrepreneur. In this episode we share the following resources for small businesses: Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL)...
29 min
391
How to Build Financial Resilience in 2020, with...
#263: It’s been a tough year, and we’re only halfway through it. Today’s guest has insights and actions to help you build financial resilience in 2020. Not only will you emerge from the events of this year stronger, you’ll also face future...
61 min
392
Ask Paula: I'm Taking a Mini-Retirement in a Pa...
#262: Tyson is taking a year off of work and plans to devote some of his time to domestic travel, volunteer work, and bolstering his rental property portfolio. He originally planned to travel internationally, but won’t due to the pandemic. How does...
48 min
393
PSA Thursday - Your Complete Guide to Donor Adv...
For more information, go to
26 min
394
Why I Quit My Job in the Middle of a Recession ...
#261: I quit my job at the beginning of a recession and made it work. Two years ago, I did an interview with Lessons From a Quitter explaining how. Given that so many community members want to leave their jobs for something better in the future,...
51 min
395
PSA Thursday - How Does the CARES Act Impact St...
Welcome back to PSA Thursday, a mostly-weekly segment in which we talk about how to handle money, work, and life in the middle of a pandemic. In this episode, we cover how to manage student loans in the midst of the pandemic with Travis Hornsby, a...
28 min
396
Ask Paula: Should I Fire My Financial Advisor D...
#260: Katelyn wants to fire her financial advisor and move her investments from mutual funds into Vanguard index funds. Should she do this during the pandemic? Or should she wait? Marisa asks: can you invest in a Roth IRA if your income is...
56 min
397
How to Lead with a Vision, with Michael Hyatt
#259: Leadership comes in all forms. Whether you’re a small business owner, a manager or department head at work, or the head of a volunteer organization, having a crystal clear vision is critical to success. Without a clear vision, you’re likely...
65 min
398
PSA Thursday -- Actions Speak Louder Than Words
We have muted the podcast thusfar this week, in support of the #amplifymelanatedvoices movement and in support of the #theshowmustbepaused movement. We have assembled a list of resources that highlight books, websites, podcasts, nonprofit...
7 min
399
PSA Thursday - Your Guide to Giving: How to Don...
Let's start with the good news: the majority of U.S. households, 6 in 10, donate money to nonprofits and charities, and 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. volunteer their time and talent. The only way our society is going to get through the struggles and the...
23 min
400
Ask Paula: Can I Quit My Job Before I'm Financi...
#258: “Burned Out in Boston” wants to reach financial independence. But she’s not sure she can stick it out in Boston much longer. She and her husband want to move to an area that doesn’t have many job prospects, and they want to make this...
50 min